Cricket: England selectors chuck in a tricky choice

They might be baffled by her presence, but the White Ferns maintained a public straight bat as they prepare to face the most controversial bowler in women's cricket in tomorrow's World Cup final.

England seamer Jenny Gunn is banned from bowling in the Australian domestic competition because of a suspect action.

Yet she was cleared to continue playing at the World Cup despite being reported by the umpires during pool play.

The head-scratching situation arose through different International Cricket Council rules in the women's game which state that the player's home board, rather than the independent panel that operates in men's cricket, will review the legality of a bowler's action.

Gunn was reported by on-field umpires during the World Cup opener against Sri Lanka on March 7, then video footage of her bowling in the next match against India was sent to England's national academy at Loughborough.

She was cleared after a report from Dr Mark King, a member of the ICC panel of human movement specialists, deemed her action legal and said it was only an "illusion" that she appeared to throw.

That differed from the analysis provided by the Australian Institute of Sport biomechanics laboratory in Canberra earlier after Gunn was reported for a suspect action while playing for Western Australia.

Reportedly, none of Gunn's deliveries were within the ICC's permitted 15 degrees of arm flexion, therefore she remains sidelined from the Australian domestic competition. She has appealed against the findings.

While there have long been questions over Gunn's action New Zealand coach Gary Stead was not about to inflame the situation.

"It doesn't matter what I think because I don't control the game," he said. "If she's cleared to play, she's cleared to play, and we just have to look at how we're going to combat that."